Páginas sobre el tema:   [1 2] >
Poll: Greetings in my culture include:
Autor de la hebra: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
PERSONAL DEL SITIO
Nov 5, 2007

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Greetings in my culture include:".

View the poll here

A forum topic will appear each time a new poll is run. For more information, see: http://proz.com/topic/33629


 
awilliams
awilliams
Reino Unido
Local time: 08:32
italiano al inglés
+ ...
Depends Nov 5, 2007

Business acquaintance: handshake - noooo kisses!
Good friend: hug and maybe 1 or 2 kisses
Neighbours, etc.: "Hi" or "Alright?" and no physical contact

Then there's the awkward situation where you're greeting a mix of good friends and people you've just met and you're not sure whether to go for the handshake, which could make you look stuffy, formal and cold, or go for a hug, which could make you look too familiar, especially if the other person goes limp/isn't expecting
... See more
Business acquaintance: handshake - noooo kisses!
Good friend: hug and maybe 1 or 2 kisses
Neighbours, etc.: "Hi" or "Alright?" and no physical contact

Then there's the awkward situation where you're greeting a mix of good friends and people you've just met and you're not sure whether to go for the handshake, which could make you look stuffy, formal and cold, or go for a hug, which could make you look too familiar, especially if the other person goes limp/isn't expecting it! Ah, the joys, the joys!
Something I really can't stand is a limp handshake. Urgh. Sort it out!



[Edited at 2007-11-05 14:03]
Collapse


 
Kathryn Strachecky
Kathryn Strachecky  Identity Verified
Local time: 09:32
francés al inglés
Depends Nov 5, 2007

In a formal business situation, it would be a handshake.

However, if we're talking about colleagues you work with on a regular basis or good friends, it's one kiss on each cheek.

France is very complicated because the number of kisses actually depends on the town where you live. I don't think I could count the number of times I've bumped heads with someone because they were going for the other cheek or for more/less kisses than me....

And if you're greeting
... See more
In a formal business situation, it would be a handshake.

However, if we're talking about colleagues you work with on a regular basis or good friends, it's one kiss on each cheek.

France is very complicated because the number of kisses actually depends on the town where you live. I don't think I could count the number of times I've bumped heads with someone because they were going for the other cheek or for more/less kisses than me....

And if you're greeting a room full of family members, two kisses per person can take an awfully long time...
Collapse


 
M. Anna Kańduła
M. Anna Kańduła  Identity Verified
Reino Unido
Local time: 08:32
inglés al polaco
Handshake Nov 5, 2007

Usually. Some men still have a habit of kissing lady's hands... brrrr... I hate that, especially since very little know how to do it properly.

Among closer friends it may be hugs and kisses. But generally it's shaking hands.


Anni


 
Rebecca Garber
Rebecca Garber  Identity Verified
Local time: 03:32
Miembro 2005
alemán al inglés
+ ...
depends Nov 5, 2007

Where's the space for "all of the above"?
Either that, or the type of greeting--business, family, friend, acquaintance--needs to be specified.


 
Denise DeVries
Denise DeVries  Identity Verified
Estados Unidos
Local time: 03:32
español al inglés
+ ...
and then there are the children and teens Nov 5, 2007

[quote]Amy Williams wrote:

Business acquaintance: handshake - noooo kisses!
Good friend: hug and maybe 1 or 2 kisses
Neighbours, etc.: "Hi" or "Alright?" and no physical contact

Same here.
In addition to all the above nuances, my youngest daughter and her friends (8) hug everyone, and then there are the teenage boys who manage a nod at the most when greeted by an adult.
Oh, and men slap each other on the back!


 
Ritu Bhanot
Ritu Bhanot  Identity Verified
Francia
francés al hindi
+ ...
Namaste Nov 5, 2007

In India, the usual traditional way of greeting is Namaste
[img]http://re3.mm-a11.yimg.com/image/115680163[/img]


 
Noni Gilbert Riley
Noni Gilbert Riley
España
Local time: 09:32
español al inglés
+ ...
...a lot of confused signals Nov 5, 2007

Brought up in the UK, and having lived in Spain for the last twenty odd years, you can imagine that I can get confused, and, like Kathryn, lots of bumped heads ensue. But within any community these days, the mixture of international mores will inevitably lead to moments of awkwardness. But one thing is I think true throughout the business world that we translators work in, a good firm handshake will always do the greeting job, and a limp one, as Amy observes, will NOT!

[Edited at 2007-11-
... See more
Brought up in the UK, and having lived in Spain for the last twenty odd years, you can imagine that I can get confused, and, like Kathryn, lots of bumped heads ensue. But within any community these days, the mixture of international mores will inevitably lead to moments of awkwardness. But one thing is I think true throughout the business world that we translators work in, a good firm handshake will always do the greeting job, and a limp one, as Amy observes, will NOT!

[Edited at 2007-11-05 17:39]
Collapse


 
John Cutler
John Cutler  Identity Verified
España
Local time: 09:32
español al inglés
+ ...
Hand shaking kamasutra Nov 5, 2007

aceavila - Noni wrote:

a good firm handshake will always do the greeting job, and a limp one, as Amy observes, will NOT!


Has anyone else noticed though, that people in different cultures seem to shake hands differently? In a Spanish handshake, the out stretched hand seems to face downwards. An American shakes hands with the hand more facing straight forward. It took me awhile to be able to clasp hands here without it appearing that I was trying to thumb wrestle the other person

I still forget sometimes to change hand positions, which is rather embarrassing, like bumping heads when giving kisses.


 
Claudia Alvis
Claudia Alvis  Identity Verified
Perú
Local time: 03:32
Miembro
español
+ ...
Un besito Nov 5, 2007

In Peru where I grew up the word isn't even 'beso' but 'besito' (little kiss). If you enter a room with 20 people in it, you have to greet every single one of them with a kiss on the cheek, even if you're meeting them for the first time or if you're meeting them for the 3rd time that day. In business situations, a handshake is the most appropriate thing.

 
Lori Cirefice
Lori Cirefice  Identity Verified
Francia
Local time: 09:32
francés al inglés
It varies ... Nov 5, 2007

All of the above - depending on the situation !

 
Juan Jacob
Juan Jacob  Identity Verified
México
Local time: 02:32
francés al español
+ ...
¡Abrazo! Nov 5, 2007

In Mexico, between men.
And that's a huge hug... chest on chest, (never a kiss between men) and quite hard hand slaps on each other back! Very "macho". But I like it.
With women, discret kiss. (Macho too... beware husband or boy friend!)
In my "other" country, Belgium, FOUR kisses!


 
Cristina Heraud-van Tol
Cristina Heraud-van Tol  Identity Verified
Perú
Local time: 03:32
Miembro 2005
inglés al español
+ ...
Kisses for everyone! Nov 5, 2007

In Peru women expect and give a kiss on the cheek to everyone they greet. Men kiss women on the cheek and shake hands with men. Doesn't matter if you know them or not.

 
No physical contact Nov 5, 2007

You simply bow ... with smile. Smiling is not mandatory, just to be on safe side.

Handshake is an option, or among more modernized people.

Hug .... none existent in business relations.

Kissing .... People would think you are crazy.

I am talking Japan!


 
Claudia Aguero
Claudia Aguero  Identity Verified
Costa Rica
Local time: 02:32
español al inglés
+ ...
The same in Costa Rica Nov 5, 2007

Cristina Heraud-van Tol wrote:

In Peru women expect and give a kiss on the cheek to everyone they greet. Men kiss women on the cheek and shake hands with men. Doesn't matter if you know them or not.


Many people do the same if they are about the same age. However, if we are meeting or greeting elder people, we tend not to kiss them, if they are not relatives or close friends. In some cases, we just say "hello", "hi", "glad to meet you", or something like that.


 
Páginas sobre el tema:   [1 2] >


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderador(es) de este foro
Jared Tabor[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Poll: Greetings in my culture include:






CafeTran Espresso
You've never met a CAT tool this clever!

Translate faster & easier, using a sophisticated CAT tool built by a translator / developer. Accept jobs from clients who use Trados, MemoQ, Wordfast & major CAT tools. Download and start using CafeTran Espresso -- for free

Buy now! »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »